Mail catcher



New. 13, E923. HA'MWM J. J. FUEHRER MAIL CATCHER Filed July 20. 1921 Patented Nov. 13, 11923..

omen eras pa e JACOB J. FUEHRER, OF CENTRAL CITY, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOBLOF ONE-FOURTH TO EDWARD J. PATTERSON, OF OENTBALCITY, NEBRASKA, AND ONE-FOURTH TO THE FIRM OF JACOB]: & JACOZBI, OF WASHINGTONaDISTBICT OF GQLUMBIA, COMPOSED OF HERBERT J. JACOBI AND WILLIAM J. JACOBI.

IMAIL CATCHER.

Application filed July 20, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that JACOB J. FUnHrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Central City, in the county of Merrick and State of Nebraska, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Catchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail catching apparatus, ant more particularly to a latch member or the like for positively retaining mail bags in the catching hook after they have been received therein.

It is a well known fact that in the mail catching apparatus now in use the bag is very often dropped from the catcher after being received therein, due to the inadequate means for holding the bag in the hook, and the primary object of my invention is to provide a device which will overcome this difficulty.

A further object of the device resides in providin a hook member which is pivotally supporteil on one arm of the main catching hook so that when the bag is received in said main hook the first mentioned hook member will be thrown to a position to lock the bag in the apparatus.

A still further object resides in providing a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and one which will be very eflicient and useful in operation.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application Figure 1 is a plan view of a device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the latch hook removed.

In describing the invention I shall refer to the drawing in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which 1 designates an arm carried on a support of any preferred type such asabaggage car or a Serial No. 480,308.

standard at a station post and said arm is extended outwardly as shown at 2 and bent as shown at 3 to form substantially a U, the outer arm of the U being extended and defiected somewhat as shown at a to direct mail bags into the U shaped member. The complete device constitutes a mail catching apparatus, the portions 3 and 4 together forming substantially a receiving hook. Pivoted, as shown at 5, to the outer arm of the U-shaped member 3 is a hookshaped latch member 6, the movement of said latch member in one direction being limited by means of a lug 7 formed on the inner end of the latch member adapted to contact with the arm 2, as shown in full lines in Figure 1. The position of the latch member under normal conditions is that illustrated in full lines in Figure 1 and when the mail bag is received against the portion 4: and directed into the U-shaped member 3 said bag will be directed against the intermediate portion of the latch hook member 6 causing the latter to be swung on its pivot to a position as-shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. In this latter position the hook member 6 closes the opening between the arms of the U-shaped member 3, thus retaining the mail bag positively therein until such time as someone swings the latch 6 for the purpose of removing the bag.

From the foregoing description of my invention the operation will be readily understood, and it will be seen that I have provided a simple and inexpensive means for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while I have particularlv described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion, and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a device of the class described, the combination with an arm having its outer end bent laterally to form a U'shaped receiving member and an extension continuing from the outer arm of the U-shaped member and bent outwardly at an acute angle to form a directing member therefor; of a latch hook pivoted at a predetermined point on the upstanding lug formed integral with the under face of the outer arm of said U-shaped side edge of said hook at the goose-neck end *7 receiving member adjacent the crown of the thereof adaptedrto contact with said arm to 10 latter, constituting a receiving means, said retain said latch'hook in its receiving posihook having its pivot point offset from the tion.

central portion thereof and provided With a In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. goose-neck extension at its inner end, and an JACOB J. F UEHRER. 

